Harmonic generator system



D 16, 1924. 1,519,619 1 J. W. HORTON HARMONIC GENERATOR SYSTEM Filed Dec. 23, 192,0 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 I l I l I l I| DecQlG, J. w. HORTON HARMONIO GENERATOR SYSTEM Filed Dad. 25, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //7ve/770 Joseph Horfon .IIIIII lllllll I nun I'll! llllll II'Y'I IIIIHI Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE.

JOSEPH W. HORTON, .OF EAST QEANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELEC- TRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW yonx.

HABMONIC GENERATOR SYSTEM.

Application filed December 23, 1920. Serial No. 432,646.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. HORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex, State 6 of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Harmonic Generator System, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

10 This invention relates to the production of an re uired harmonic fr uenc wave or a series of such waves from a given sine wave of fundamental frequency. The fundamental wave is obtained from a source of known or standard frequency while the harmonic wave is produced by passing the wave disturbance derived from the fundamental wave through a progressive series of operations which involve breaking up or distorting the wave, and synthesizing or uniting certain of the resulting wave components to form the required waves.

One object of the'invention is to produce a series of waves having different fre- 2 quencies separated by an accurate and constant frequency interval, a condition very essential in multiplex carrier wavesystems. I Another object is to provide a source of waves of harmonic frequency covering a range extending from the frequency of the fundamental up to any desired frequency value with a minimum amount of apparatus and circuits.

A still further object is to generate a wave frequency ratio to that of some standard, or known frequency, such as a calibrated tuning fork or other source of constant frequency.

It is old in the art to arrange frequency multipliers in tandem to provide a .wave of high frequency, but such systems can provide only certain values of frequency separated by inconvenient frequency inter vals. In order to provide waves of all harmonic frequencies, ranging from the fundamental frequency to the highest harmonicproduced, it is here proposed to produce a series of waves harmonic to the fundamental wave and to then combine a nummonies within a given range, the apparatus vof any desired frequency having a definite ber of these harmonic waves, so as to produce all possible harmonics, or desired har-.

tor, but also all harmonics, or any desired 5 harmonics of the fundamental wave covering a range intermediate between the impressed waves..

The modulating device may be of substantially the same type as the distorting device inasmuch as use is made of the distouting characteristic in both of these devices. By arranging part of agiven number of distorting devices in tandem connection, and the remainder of the distorters as modulators, a larger number of harmonics may be produced than if the distorters were all arranged in tandem; or, conversely, to produce a given series of harmonics, a combination of distorters in tandem in conjunction with one or more modulators may not require as many distort-' ing devices as would be necessary if all the distorters were in simple tandem rela tion to'each other.

Other objects will be apparent from the more detailed description of the invention. Referring to the drawin Fig, 1 is a diagram showing one modification of the 'invention em loying a tandem connection of distorting evices so connected to a mod- .plled with waves'of selected frequency;

Fig.1; is a diagram of a modification utilizing a single distorting-tube for performing the function of several distorters or modulators; I

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an alternativemethod to that of Figs. land 2, of

arranging the distorting and modulating devices. A

InFig. 1, the source of oscillations 1 is connected with the harmonic producer 2" indicated as H. P. whose output circuit includes'two parallel branch circuits 4 and 5, one of which, 4, is tuned as indicated by T. C. to the frequency of either the highest harmonic produced in the tube 2, or some convenient harmonic such as the ninth-harmonic of the fundamental wave;- The .other branch 5 of the output circuit will 'vided with two branches,'one branc tuned circuits intervening etween adjacent harmonic producers in. the manner already described with reference to harmonic producers 2, 6 and 10.

The output circuit 11 of the. harmon1c producer 10 is inductively connected to the grid circuit 12 of the modulator 13 indicated as M. In addition to the circuit. 11, the

mitting branch circuits 5, 9, are inductively connected to the rid circuit 12. The output circuit 14 oft e modulator 13 is tuned to some harmonic frequency which it is desired to select, and is connected through the amplifier 15 to'another circuit 16 tuned'to the ,same frequency as circuit 14 and pere o eration of the circuit shown in Fig.

1 is as ollows: a wave. of fundamental frequenc originating atthe source 1 is distorted or broken up by the harmonic pro- I ducer 2, in a manner well known in theart,

.into a plurality of waves having fre uencies harmonic to that of the fundamenta wave.

The tuned circuit 4 is adjusted to be resonant to someone of the component waves which make up the distorted wave in the output circuit of .the harmonic producer- 2.

In effect, the-tuned circuit. 4 then becomes a source .of single frequency waves which are applied-to the harmonic producer 6 in the same manner as waves originating at i the source 1 were"; applied to the harmonic producer 2. Y

Assuming that each harmonic producer produces N harmonics of the'wave impressed thereon, there will be N harmonics produced inathe producer 2,'a nd ifthe tuned circuit 4 selects the Nth-harmonic from 'thedistorted wave, the harmonic producer 6 will pro- of a sharp selection of a desired A, fre uency.

produce N harmonics of-the wave impressed thereon, thus givin rise to a wavecontam ing N- harmonics o a wave having (N-I-l) times the frequency of the source '1, and the highest frequency will be (N-l-l)? times that of the wave from the source 1. If the frequency of the wave from the source 1 be designated as f, and the tuned circuit, 8 be tuned to transmit the wave of frequency (N+1) f, the wave produced-in the output circuit of the harmonic producer 10 will contain' N harmonics of a wave of frequency (N 1) f, thus givin rise to harmonics of freq ency ashigh as N|1)'-"f. In a manner similar to that described with reference to harmonic. producers 2, 6 and 1 0, the scale of harmonics may be extended by inserting additional harmonic reducers, and intermediate tuned circuits 1n the tandem connection.

The output circuit of the last harmonic producer in the tandem connection will contain va harmonic equal to the frequenc 'source 1 multiplied by (N +1) raised to a power corresponding to the number of harmonic producers. I

The branch circuit 5 contains N harmonics .of a fundamental wave having a frequency f; branch circuit 9 contains N harmomcs of a, wave having a frequency (NA-1);; branch 11 contains N harmonics of a wave having a frequency ;N+1) f, while other branches extending rom additional harmonic producers which might be inserted in the tandem connection would provide N harmonies of the waves impressed upon'the indivldual harmonic [pro ucers.

of the If the waves having the frequencies. p, 1', 8, etc. are impressed upon any modulating system, there will bepresent in the output wave, components of the "fre'uency iap;i -bgicridsi, where any of t e coefiicients may be zero, or a whole number such as 1, 2, 3, etc. The order of modulation prbdu'cing any given component is. de-

fined as being the sum of the coeflicientsf' a, b, a, d, etc. for that component. For 'example, where wave. frequencies p, .g, and 'r are transmitted to a modulator and one --of the sine wave. output components has a frequenc f= p q 1 a the on der o modulation whichproduces'said component is mm1+1+1:3; similarly if The modulatoiie should be capable of modulating to an. order of modulation cor- I responding to the number of input {circuits such'as 5, 9, and 11. Wavesapplied through the variou's -branches'.5, 9,11, -etc., form a resultant wave in the output circuit of the modulator 13, containing in addition to the harmonic waves impressed uponthe 1'n odu-' later 13, all possibleintermediateharmonic frequencies. There are also produced in the output circuit of the modulator 13, harmonic waves of frequency considerabl in excess of the impressed harmonics, t ese higher harmonics being limited in frequency only by the order of modulation of the modulator 13. 1

If the distorted or complex wave flowing in the circuit 5 be designated as 423 f, the distorted wave in the circuit 9 as w, (N+1) f, and the distorted wave in the circuit 11 as (N-]-1) f, a wave may be selected from the output circuit of'the modulator 13 of a frequency which may be designated as m fiw (N+1)fiw (N+1) f. The intermodulation of the Waves supplied by the harmonic producers thus gives rise to waves of the same frequency as those supplied by the r nas-v wer,-

harmonic producers, and in-addition thereto gives rise to all possible. intermediate harmonies of the fundamental wave f;

Fig.2 shows an arrangement of tuned circuits intermediate between the circuits 9, and 11, and the m0dulator13 the tuned circuit 17 being resonant to frequency of selected from the complex Wave m,f, the tuned circuit 18 being resonant to the frequency b (N|-1)f selected from the com plex wave w fiN-H) and the tuned circuit 19 being resonanttot efrequency 0(N+1) f selected from the complex wave m (N-!1) f. The output circuit of the modulator 13 con-.

tains the anti-resonant circuit 20 which is tuned to the frequency which it is desired to select from the output circuit of the modulator, other frequencies than the selected frequency being shunted through the circuit 20, thus being: diverted from the amplifier 21 which reproduces the selected wave in the tuned output circuit 22 which is resonant to the selected frequency designated as w n Fig. 3, fundamental oscillations gener ated by source 1 areimpressed upon the input circuit 23 of the modulating device 24, designated as M, which functions as a dis tortin device to break up the fundamental wave erived from the source 1 into a distorted wave containing a number of har- "monics. Connected to the output circuit 25 of the modulator24 is the tuned circuit 26-Which may be tuned to select the highest harmonic produced by the first distorting operation upon the wave disturbance derived from the source 1.

The wave selected by. thetuned circuit 26 is reproduced by the am lifier #27 in the tuned circuit 28- which lead; to an inductive cou ling 29 in the input circuit 23 of the mo ulator 24 which may perform a second distorting operation, this time upon the wave derived through the tuned circuit 28. The new series of waves produced in the output circuit 25 are harmonic to the frequency of the wave from t'uned circuit 28, and thewave from the source 1. The highest harmonic produced by the second deplifier 27.

Another tuned circuit 31, resonant to the same frequency as-tunedcircuit- 30 supplies a wave to the in ut circuit 23 and to the modulator 24 which may erform a third distorting operation, where by said wave is distorted-in the manner already described with reference to the first and second distorting operations. The highest harmonic prodilced by distorting the wave from the tuned circuit 31may be selected from the out ut circuit 25 by a branch tuned circuit 32 1n an amplifying channel similar to the one containing amplifier 27, and whose output circuit 33 supplies the selected wave to the input circuit 23 of the modulator 24. Tuned circuits 28, 31, etc. are provided to prevent the interaction of currents flowing in the circuit 29 upon the amplifying devices connected thereto, and to provide tuning means to supplement tuned circuits 26,

30 etc.

' The above described process of selecting a given harmonic from the output circuit of a distorting device and feeding said harmonic back tothe input circuit of the distorting device may be repeated in the manner already described with reference to three amplifying channels. In this way a single distorting device performs the function of a tandem' connection of distorting devices. Although the operation has been described with reference to the selection during each cycle of the operation of the highest harmonic produced, it is obvious that the tuned branch circuits 26, 30, 32, etcgma'y be adjusted to select waves of other frequencies that may exist in the output circuit of the modulator ,24. For example, tuned circuit 26 may be adjusted to be. resonant to a frequency ten times that of the source 1; tuned circuit 30 may be adjusted to a frequency of ten timesthat of the circuit 26; tuned circuit 32 ten times that of the circuit 30, and so on, thereby giving rise to a series of harmonics relatedto each other by multiples and powers of ten.

In view of the distorting or modulating characteristic of the modulator 24, the various waves impressed upon the input circuit 23will. be intermodulated thus" giving rise to all possible. modulated combinations of the waves impressed upon the input circuit 23. i

Instead of adjusting the tuned branch circuits 26, 30, 32, etc. to be resonant to a hartion of waves impressed upon the input circuit 23. A large number of combinations are thus obviously possible by varying the adjustment of these tuned branch, circuits '26,- 30, 32, etc.

Turned circuit 34 in the input circuit of the amplifier 35 and the tuned circuit 36 "in the output circuit of the amplifier 35 may be tuned to-any frequency of harmonic lar tuned amplifier circuits by making parallel connection with the tuned circuit the amplifier 46 being tuned to the fre uency as the circuit 45.

shown by the conductors 37.

In Fig, 4, the source of fundamental oscillations 1 provides a wave disturbance which is passed through the tandem connection of harmonic producers'2, 6, and 10 having tuned circuits 4, 8 and 38 in their respective output circuits. Branch circuits 5 and 9 lead to tuned circuits 17 and 18, respectively, which supply selected harmonic waves to the input circuit 39 of the modulator 40 whose tuned output circuit 41 cooperates with tuned circuit 38 in supplying selected waves to the input circuit 42 of the modulator 43'. To the output circuit 44.0f modulator 43 may be connected one or more tuned amplifier. circuits similar. to

that shown comprising the tuned circuit 45 in.

the'input circuit of the amplifier 46, .the tuned cig'cuit 47- in the output circuit of odulator 40, designated as M,, com-' -bines harmonics'selected by the tuned circui'ts 17 and 18 to produce a complex wave containing, in addition to the waves impressed by the circuits 17 and 18, waves of modulate from those to be found in the circuits of the-harmonic producers 2, 6, and 10. I

A wave of frequency corresponding to second order modulation may be selected by the tuned circuit 41 and supplied with another harmonic wave from the timed cirfcuit 38-.to the modulator 43 which produces p duced in theoutput'circuit o .the modulator.

1 13 in the system'shownin Fig. 2. In other, words harmonic waves corresponding to Iby operations involvin I modulation. r-If desirerf.

4 "migl1t be still-further extended in the manner shown by combining higher har '60 modulated'waves in its output circuit having, frequencies corre'spondn "to those pro- 'third order modulationin. the system of Fig. 2am produced by the system. in Fig. 4 only second order the system of Fig.

monics thanprodu'ced by the harmonic pro- I ducer'10 with a wave selected from the output circuit 44rof on.

the modulator 43, and so The method of generatin harmonic frequency waves described, with reference to same frequency which are different-- It is considered that the described methodv of generating harmonicfrequency waves is of .broad application, and not limited to any particular -combination offelements, and thecombinations of elements disclosed are considered to be only examples of 'specific embodiments of the invention.

The appended claims are intended to cover the invention broadly without being limited to the specific means described.

What is claimed is 1. The method of producing a required 'harmonic' electric wave which consists in distorting the fundamental wave, and then synthesizing wave having different modes of variation to form .the required wave.

2. The method of producing a required harmonic electric wave which consists in distorting the fundamental wave while said wave'is maintained independent ofother waves, and then distdrtin the resultant wave by combining a plura ity'of the components of said resultant wave .to form the wave of the required frequency,

3. The method of producing an electric wave of required frequency ratio. to that of a given wave which consists in distorting said given wave intoa wave containing a plurality of components of difi'erent frequencies, and-uniting a plurality of said portions .of said .distorted I components toform' a resultant wave con-' taininlgxthe wave of required frequency,

4. e method of producmg a required harmonic electric wave which consists ll] breaking up the fundamental-wave to form a wave containing harmonics and intermodulating certain'of said harmonics derived from said fundamental wave.

.5. The method of producing a required harmonic of a fundamental electric wave of a higher order than is obtainable in a single operation, which consists in passing a wave disturbance initiated b -said fundamental wave through, a plur ty of progressive stages of distorting operations and combining waves selected at different stages to-form the required wave.

6. The method of producingl a required harmonic electric wave of a igher order than is obtainable from a singledistorting operation which consists in distorting a fundamental wave, distorting the highest available component in the distorted wave,

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source of fundamental frequency, distorting a wave selected from the distorted wave, repeating the last stated process, and combining waves of frequency ranging between the fundamental frequency and the highest frequency produced to form the required waves.

8. The method of producing a required harmonic electric wave which consists in distorting the fundamental wave, distorting a portion of said first distorted wave, synthesizing a portion of said first distorted wave and said second distorted wave, distorting a portion of said second distorted wave, and combining a portion of said synthetic Wave and said third distorted wave to form the required wave, 9. The method of producing a required harmonic electric wave which consists in progressively passing an electric disturbance through a series of distorting operations, synthesizing waves selected in certain of said operations, and combining certain of the synthetic waves with certain of the distorted waves to form the required wave.

10. The method of transforming a wave of fundamental frequency into a series of required waves separated by predetermined frequency intervals, which consistsin proressively passing an electric disturbance derived from a wave of fundamental frequency through a plurality of distorting operations in seriatim, selecting certain of the required waves from those produced in said dlstortlng operations, and combmln certain of the waves operations to waves.

produced in said distorting orm other of the require 11. A generator of harmonic electric waves including a source of. fundamental waves, a harmonic producer connected thereto, and a modulator connected to said producer and means for combiningcertain of the harmonics produced.

12. A generator of harmonic electric Waves including a source of fundamental waves, a plurality of harmonic producers in tandem connected thereto, a modulator connected to said producers and means for combining certain of the harmonics produced.

13. A generator of harmonic waves including a source of fundamental waves, a plurality of harmonic producers in tandem connected thereto, a modulator connected to certain of said producers, .and frequencys electing means connected between said producers and said modulator.

14. A generator of harmonic electric waves including a source of fundamental waves, a first harmonic producer connected thereto, a tuned circuit connected tosaid first harmonic producer, a second. harmonic producer connected to said tuned circuit, and a modulator connected to both of said harmonic producers to modulate waves de- 16. In a harmonic electric wave producer system, a tandem connection of harmonicproducers, a tandem connection of modulators, and branch connections from certain of said harmonic producers to certain of said modulators.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th-day of December, A. D

JOSEPH w. HORTON. 

